WORLD
Pakistan's army top brass hints at tougher approach against TTP
Speaking at the 250th Corps Commanders' Conference, a monthly feature at General Headquarters, Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, according to ISPR, "directed formations to maintain operational readiness and efforts to counter terrorism particularly in KP and Balochistan must continue", Dawn reported.
Jury's out on Emmanuel Macron if he's friend or foe: UK's Liz Truss
Liz Truss, the incumbent Foreign Secretary, told Conservative Party members at a leadership hustings in Norwich on Thursday that she was undecided as to whether her counterpart in Paris was "friend or foe", reports dpa news agency.
Newly reported monkeypox cases dip worldwide: WHO
In the week from August 15-21, there were 21 per cent fewer cases than in the previous week, dpa news agency quoted the global health body as saying in a statement issued on Thursday. In the previous four weeks, the numbers had been rising.
US Senator's arrival marks August's 3rd US congressional Taiwan visit
Contrary to earlier reports, Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, arrived late Thursday night unaccompanied by other members of Congress, reports dpa news agency. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry expressed appreciation to the US for its show of support amid rising regional tension and growing pressure from China.
Russia to enlarge armed forces by 137,000 soldiers
The amount of military staff will be increased to 1,150,628 from 1,013,628 as was stipulated in a presidential decree signed in November 2017, Xinhua news agency reported. The new order will enter into force on January 1, 2023. The announcement by the Russian president came a day after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine reached its six-month mark.
Shehbaz Sharif cancels UK visit as Pakistan declares floods as national emergency
On his part, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has cancelled his visit to the United Kingdom and is heading back from Qatar to chair a meeting to review flood relief activities, Samaa TV reported. In a statement issued on Thursday, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb termed the flood situation in the country as a national emergency.
'Didn't have any advance notice': Biden breaks silence on FBI's Trump raid
"I didn't have any advance notice. None, zero. Not one single bit. Thank you," replied Biden when asked by a journalist about it after he concluded his speech announcing student forgiveness. Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked the President if he knew about the raid ahead of time. "Mr President, how much advance notice did you have of the FBI's plan to search Mar-a-Lago," he asked.
Taiwan boosts defence budget by 13.9%
According to the proposal, the total expenditure involving national defence in 2023 will amount to 586.3 billion Taiwan dollars (TWD) ($19.4 billion), reports dpa news agency. It includes 108.3 billion TWD for the purchase of advanced fighter jets, among other things. The Chinese military held large-scale manoeuvres around Taiwan earlier this month in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island on August 2.
Negotiations inch forward on deal to restore Iran nuke deal
Iran received a response from the US administration on Wednesday to EU foreign affairs envoy Josep Borrell's compromise proposal for the text of the agreement, reports dpa news agency. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Thursday that Tehran would now carefully examine the US response and then immediately announce its decision to the EU.
Japan's police chief steps down over Abe assassination
"As we push ahead with new security arrangements, it is natural to approach the matter with a new line-up of people," Nakamura told reporters here. The 67-year-old former leader was shot in the back at close range by an ex-military man with a home-made gun during a campaign speech in the city of Nara on July 8. The assassination shocked the country, known for its low crime rate and extremely strict gun laws.
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